Taking Chances
by AQA473
Summary: The strings that tie loyalty are thinner than many think. Contest entry for a BioWare fan club. Story about Mia Hawkins from the Imperial Agent Tatooine quest line. Slight femslash. One-shot. Please review and check out my other stories. I love you.


Five minutes. No, wait, four minutes. Four minutes? Lords, I hope not. Tatooine is 30,318 parsecs from Dromund Kaas which means I should have five minutes. More time to wait. More time to think this over. I can drop the transmission right now, end it here, leave this building, forget out it. But then what will happen? I keep the transmission open. The screen tells me the signal is still traveling. I can exit it any time, no consequences, and leave this place without another thought.

Four minutes. I can leave right now, save myself. What if I get caught; what if they find out; what would they do to me?

Three minutes. No. What if I leave and more innocents are harmed because of my ignorance? I need to take this risk.

Two minutes. Wait, maybe it was just a fluke. The Old Man isn't stupid enough to try something like that again. Nothing's going to happen. Why am I even doing this?

One minute. But then, if I'm wrong, billions will die because of me. _Because of me_. It won't go down in the history archives, but I'll know it was me.

A click, static, a voice. No turning back now.

"Who are you?" It's a woman's voice. I wonder if she's anything like…

"Someone who can help you," I say in a shaky voice. The thin cloth of my sand garb clings to my skin uncomfortably and I pull at my collar to get air on me.

"Can you, now?" There's skepticism in her voice. "I assume you know who you're speaking to." I swallow.

"Imperial Intelligence," I state matter-of-factly.

"Your life is at risk. Give us a reason to make this exchange worth our valuable time." I should have expected they'd be so callous. After all, I'm the enemy.

"I'm a member- or, I mean, _ex_-member of the ghost cell on Tatooine." Silence. I eye my surroundings, a dirty backroom of some military family on leave. They won't mind me using their comms network, I'm sure.

"You're being recorded. Who are you?" I gulp audibly. I didn't think I'd have to give away my identity but I guess it only made sense.

"Um, Mia, uh, Hawkins, ma'am, wait, miss, er, officer?"

"Just relax, Hawkins." That's a switch. "We've been trying to find a way into the ghost cell and any information you may have will help us greatly." That makes me feel a little better. "And I'm Watcher Two. Now, if you could, tell me why you're contacting us." What? I blink, confused.

"W-why is that important? Don't you just want the info?"

"We'll need that, as well, but we need to know your motives. We have a lie detector plugged into this transmission so don't try to spin a tall tale. We need to know we can trust you with this information and, possibly, one of our most valued operatives." Operatives? For what?

"I-I guess I can tell you everything." I have time. No one is expecting me anywhere and I've covered my tracks. Definitely no turning back now.

Double tap, spin, cycle, twist, spread, seal, part, slice, spike, done. The door slid open and I and my partner entered silently allowing the door to slide shut behind us. Civilians were inside but they hadn't noticed us, their eyes watching a monitor on the opposite side of the room.

Chance, my partner, gestured to our right and we hugged the wall, crouched, as we circumnavigated the room. It was a private club and some of the richest big-wigs in Anchorhead were attending tonight. We had no dealings with them, however. Our target was far more valuable.

I pulled the two of us over into an east corridor, shut a door separating us from the main room, and removed my mask. There shouldn't be a need for it further ahead. My black hair was still in a stable bun and I could finally wipe the sweat off my dark skin. Wearing a full-body suit on a desert planet is something only Tuskens can do comfortably. Chance removed her mask allowing her red hair to fall around her face perfectly. It was almost as if the heat had done nothing to it. Chance was a Mirialan and bore the green skin and black diamond tattoos signature of her race. Though, unlike many of her kind, she was not force sensitive. She took it as a blessing. I didn't care either way, though. To me, she was beautiful. I stroked her cheek softly and she smiled into my gloved palm.

"We have to hurry," she said in her smooth voice. Every time she talked, it made me weak in the knees. Hiding a blush, I stowed my mask in my pack and brushed past her. She placed a passing kiss on my cheek as I moved forward.

Our target was an Imperial agent undercover in Anchorhead. A few of the guests were Republic officers so the Imperial was assumed to be placed here to spy on them. Whatever the agent's goal, it was of no consequence to us. Our objective was to find, subdue, and interrogate the Imperial. We'd heard of Intelligence operatives' resilience to torture and we were more than eager to test their limits.

We walked past various rooms in the corridor, all dark and empty, as we moved silently. The walls and floors were the usual browns and tans of Tatooine buildings but everything was covered in rich carpets and lavish tapestries to hide the dull dwelling's true colors. Not all that far from the proprietors themselves, actually.

I made a hand motion to Chance and we both pressed to opposite sides of the closed door at the end of the hall. Reports had shown that the agent had come as a guest and was using this room to set up bugs. A perfect opportunity for us to pounce. We drew out vibro-knives and I used mine to cut open the door panel. Without a sound, I sliced the wiring, tied a couple together, and sparked the conduit. I held the last two wires apart and looked to Chance as she counted down on her fingers. Lords, she was so gorgeous.

3

2

1

I pressed the two wires together and the door peeled apart. We ran inside to see our quarry wheel around quickly. Chance engaged him first and made a feigning swing at his abdomen that he dodged. I circled around after jamming the door and approached slowly. He noticed me and swung his pistol at me. I deflected with my forearm then kneed him in the stomach. He recovered quickly and ducked under Chance who made a grab at him.

Pressed into a corner, he pulled out a small vial. I lunged, snatching the vial before he could pour the contents into his mouth. Chance followed up with a fist to his face then threw him to the desk in the middle of the room. I discarded the vial and pinned him down. I nodded to Chance and she bound his wrists and ankles.

"What, who the hell are you?" He spat at me and I wiped it off my face. Chance slammed her elbow into his back making him grunt.

He was a cyborg, his left eye glitching around after the scuffle, and had well-kept chestnut hair that stopped above his ears. He might have been handsome if I wasn't such a poof.

"Honey, I'm no good at this part." I threw him into a chair and got behind it to hold him there. "Can you take care of it?" She simply smiled at me and crouched in front of the Imperial.

"Alright, we're not gonna mess around. We need information out of your scrawny, misguided brain and you're gonna tell us everything we need to know. If you can do that, we won't have to kill you. Deal?" He looked up at me and I forced his head back down. He scoffed and looked away from her.

"I'm not saying shit. Go suck a bantha." Without hesitation, Chance shoved her hand in his mouth, took her knife, and drove the blade through his kneecap and into his thigh. His scream was muffled by Chance's gloved hand but it was still terrifying to hear. After his cries had subsided, Chance withdrew her hand but left the knife in his leg. Removing it might make him bleed out and we couldn't afford to lose this lead.

"That's a little rough for the beginning of the session but I'd like to rush this. Now, ready to talk?" He broke. I wasn't too surprised, though. I figured he'd be weak before we ever found him. If he were a good agent, we would have never even known he had been in Anchorhead.

He told us everything we asked, all true to the letter, but none of that information is really important right now. At the time, it was all we could think about. Funny how valuable something seems at one moment but is useless in another.

We left him unconscious, unrestrained, and with a fresh bacta-patch on his leg to help him recover. Chance wanted to eliminate him but I convinced her otherwise. It wasn't like he could have done anything. He knew our faces but that wouldn't get him very far.

It wasn't until we received a call halfway down the hallway that everything changed.

"Hawkins, report." It was Jyrtak, one of the Old Man's higher-ups. I always saw him as a bit of a lap-dog but I didn't have any say in his role.

"We got the information. On our way to extraction."

"Not yet. The situation's changed and we need you to perform one last objective." This happened often enough on our missions so I didn't question it.

"What would the Old Man have us do?"

"Gas the establishment. Remain on the premises to ensure there are no survivors." I froze. Now I questioned it.

"What? Wipe out the entire complex? There's civilians here! Hundreds of them!" Chance stared at me, worried, but I had nothing to say.

"That's an order. They're liabilities. As long as you do it right, the local hutts will think it was just a technical problem. Now get it done."

"No." I didn't even think. Chance looked horrified. No one defied direct orders but I had already said it. No going back on it.

"You don't get a say in this." Jyrtak was starting to sound irritated.

"Yes, yes I do. And I'm saying no. I refuse to kill these people. We got the information; we're done here." Before he could respond, I closed the call and shut off my comms receiver.

"Mia, what have you done?" She looked terrified, but I don't know if she was terrified for the people here or for us. Or for her.

"Chance, I'm not killing these people. I joined the ghost cell to stop tyranny not to slaughter innocents just because they happened to be caught in the crossfire. We're not discussing this." She grabbed my arm before I could turn away and made me look at her.

"You know what the Old Man will do to us." She looked so scared.

"I know, but I can talk us out of it. It'll be ok," I assured her but she didn't look convinced. "Let's just get out of here and we'll decide what to do. She simply nodded slowly and we put our masks back on.

The trip to the outside was quiet and tense. The more I thought about what I had just done, the more it sunk in. The Old Man didn't treat disobedience kindly but I didn't care. I had done the right thing. Hadn't I?

Outside, it was pitch black. Only the lights of the buildings down the hill were visible in the darkness. I heard shuffling sounds behind us and I turned to see seven people, agents of the ghost cell. They must have been waiting for us.

The one in the front withdrew her hood as the others vanished using their cloaking devices. She approached us and the others appeared around me and Chance, boxing us in. They all had vibro-swords drawn.

"Well, well, well. Can't say I'm surprised, little Mia. I always knew you were weak." Her gruff voice grated against my ears and made me long for Chance's soothing tones. This woman was Ter'cyt, a pale Zabrak and one of the Old Man's most ruthless operatives. She was never particularly nice to anyone, but I always felt that she had a personal vendetta against me for whatever reason. She seemed to be enjoying this encounter greatly.

"Whatever punishment I'm to receive, it should come from the Old Man himself, not his psychotic lackey." Ok, maybe _that's_ why she hated me so much. She grinned.

"Oh you're not gonna see him," Ter goaded. Chance readied herself but the other agents advanced.

Thinking quickly, I grabbed Chance and pressed her against me facing the hill. Before our assailants could move closer, I activated the force generator on my hip sending them all backwards and stunning them from the impact. Since she was closest, Chance flew past them all and down the hill falling into a roll to disappear in the buildings below. Ter'cyt made a break for me and I dropped a flash bang then dove down the hill. I could see bright light out of my peripheral but I didn't look back.

Tossing my mask into the dust, I located Chance at the base of the hill. She was recovering but we didn't have time. I pulled her off the ground and grabbed her hand to pull us into a run. We passed two buildings when she tugged hard bringing us to a full stop.

"Chance!? We need to get out of here!" I stated urgently. I turned around and saw she had removed her mask as well. Even in the dim light of the early morning, her face was stunning. She looked worried, but not the same way she had when we were in the club. "Chance?"

"We should have done what we were told."

"No, this is the right option. I won't kill innocents and neither will I let you." She just looked at me sadly. "Now, c'mon; they'll be following soo-" my plea was ended when she planted her dark, viridian lips against mine. Even with adrenaline pumping through me, her hot lips did much to calm me. I felt safe. I knew dangerous people were coming down the hill to scalp us, but I felt secure in her kiss.

The pleasantness of the kiss was interrupted by a sharp pain in my abdomen. I grunted into her mouth and she stepped away. I looked down to see Chance pulling her knife out of my body, sending more pain into my senses.

"Chance… why…" It was hard to breath. My eyesight began to fog while she just stared at me, that same worried look on her face.

"Because I know where my loyalties are. And I thought you did, too." I fell to my knees and clutched at my wound, hoping to stop the bleeding. "I might be able to reconcile with the Old Man and save my life, but I warned you about what would happen. You knew the consequences." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"But… I love you…" The words seemed to fall on deaf ears as she merely wiped the blood from her knife and went to stow it.

"I love you too, darling, but you made your choice." No. I refused to die like this. I didn't save those people just to let the Old Man, to let my lover get away with this, this cruelty.

Enraged, I grabbed her knife before she put it away and yanked her to the ground. I slashed her legs making her scream then thrust the blade into her throat. I made sure it touched the sand before dragging myself to my shaky legs and shuffling as fast as I could down the alley. I could hear her ragged breaths gurgle through her pierced throat but I didn't look back. The sand at my feet was being stained by my bleeding wound and my crying eyes as I moved.

I found a speeder parked on the side of the street and I flopped onto the seat. I cut into the controls, hotwired it, and fastened myself to it. I usually didn't strap in but I wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer. Blaster shots flew past my head and I ducked as I turned on the vehicle. I was speeding down the street and out of Anchorhead in seconds, the water in my eyes flying away.

It wasn't until I was miles away that I'd realized what I had done. I'd disobeyed orders, ran from judgment, and murdered the love of my life. Chance. By our lords and the infinite darkness, I loved her to death. To death.

More tears streamed across my face and into the breeze. I sobbed. I almost sent the speeder into a cliff I was crying so hard. But I had escaped. Was it worth it?

I wipe my eyes madly as I feel tears welling within them. I haven't told anyone about those events since they occurred two weeks ago. I hope this 'Watcher Two' doesn't turn me away. I don't know where else to turn.

"We know of the ghost cell's methods. It's why we're doing what we do." I can't read her tone but she seemed to be trying to console me.

"Please, I need to get rid of the cell forever."

"We will. I believe you and I believe that your motives are in league with ours." I cry. It worked, I can't believe it worked! Now I can leave the matter in capable hands and forget that the last five years of my life ever happened. "But you will need to remain on Tatooine."

"Wh-what? I can't stay here! They'll kill me!"

"You need to assist the operative we're sending. Her name is Cipher Nine and is our most capable agent. You need to remain in Mos Ila for now. She will protect but you will need to stay alive until she arrives. I will inform my superior and he will send Cipher to Tatooine within the day."

"I… Ok. I'll stay. Just, please, hurry."

"We will, Hawkins. Thank you for the information. Help our operative any way you can." I swallow and mumble a 'yes,' then the line closes and I'm alone in a military family's home all over again. I was so sure I would be off planet by now; instead I'm forced to stay here, in danger, waiting for some person I don't even know. Can I trust them? I've never trusted the Empire. They're imperialistic, oppressive, warmongering dictators and the entire reason I joined the ghost cell in the first place. And now I have to work with them. What have I gotten myself into?

Watcher Two lied. I've been in Mos Ila for two days waiting for a response. It wasn't until an hour ago that she contacted me and told me Cipher Nine was on her way. I'm running out of time; thousands of innocents' lives are at stake. Hundreds could have died in the time I've been sitting around in the dust and grime waiting for the Empire's finest.

I'm sitting in a small adobe house that was abandoned when its owners had been killed in the Dune Sea. With all that has been going on recently, the local government hasn't had the time to deal with real estate issues and so I've been living in here for two days. I'm sick of this planet. I hope the two suns swallow it up and burn everyone living on it. Including me.

Some chirping catches my attention and I glance up to find a gizka hop into the house. Its hollow eyes survey the room and it begins hopping toward me. I stare at it and it stares back. A whole minute passes before it clicks loudly. I assume it wants food so I throw it some gulgan paste I had left-over from lunch. It munches on it happily then goes right back to staring at me. I've never liked gizka. They're kinda creep looking and are really annoying. They're not native to Tatooine but they spawn so quickly that they might as well have been. I hope whoever brought them here gets drug into the street and shot.

The sound of a speeder outside scares the pest away. I'm thankful to be rid of the thing but suddenly find myself a little lonely. When I'm lonely, I think, and when I think, I think of Chance. I still haven't gotten over what she did to me. I don't think I ever will. I know my torso won't. I can hardly feel it anymore, but the scar's still there. It's ugly, gross, and makes me sob violently every time I see it. It's a permanent reminder of the most painful betrayal of my life. Wherever Chance is, I hope she's burning.

I've never been good at waiting. Stupid things happen, like that blasted gizka, and stupid thoughts come into my head, like that fier'fek Chance. It allows me to realize life will never be the same. Ever. But I'm not done here. It'll be difficult, but I'll do whatever it takes to bring down the ghost cell. They've caused enough harm. They've slaughtered innocents and poisoned the mind of my girlfriend. I'll make sure they pay. I'll be there when the Old Man breaths his last. That bastard is going down.

The light flooding into the house is blotted out and I look up. Before me is the silhouette of someone short, skinny, and with horns on their head. I stand and approach. Then they speak.

"Mia Hawkins, I'm Cipher Nine and we've got some work to do." I smile. Yes we do.


End file.
